Denon Mc7000 Ableton tutorial - connect, setup & midi map

The Mc7000 from Denon is an incredibly versatile midi DJ controller and is a powerful tool when used in combination with Ableton Live. The Akai MPK Mini has a wealth of features that make it perfect for use with Ableton Live.

This tutorial will teach you everything needed in order to use the Denon Mc7000 with Ableton Live, including the processes of linking, setting up and midi mapping the Mc7000.

Article Contents

1. Does the Denon Mc7000 work with Ableton Live?
2. Does the Denon Mc7000 come with ableton Live included?
3. How to connect the Mc7000 to ableton
4. How to midi map the Denon Mc7000 in Ableton Live
5. The Limitations of midi mapping the Mc7000
   1. Saving your Mc7000 Midi Mappings is cumbersome
   2. Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one
   3. Limited Ableton parameter options to map to
   4. A great solution to these problems
6. Why can’t I hear my Push in Ableton Live?

Does the Denon Mc7000 work with Ableton Live?

In summary, the Denon Mc7000 is usable with Ableton Live.

Although Ableton Live does not come with a MIDI remote script, the Mc7000 can still be mapped to many of the software's functions.

All versions of Ableton Live, Intro, Lite, standard and suite can be used in conjunction with pretty much any device which sends MIDI data, and it will work with all versions of Live such as 9, 10 and 11. As the Mc7000 is a MIDI enabled device it will be fully compatible with Ableton.

You can create your own Ableton midi mappings with ease, giving you the power to control many of the features of Ableton Live with your Mc7000.

Does the Denon Mc7000 come with ableton Live included?

The Mc7000 doesn’t come with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, so this would need to be purchased separately.

There are three main versions of Ableton Live: Intro, Standard and Suite. Although Intro and Standard are both powerful, Suite offers extra features, such as 70GB of library sounds, in contrast to Standard's 10GB.

If you prefer to have all the Audio and MIDI effects, we recommend getting Ableton Live Suite, because it comes with much more of them than the Standard edition.

How to connect the Mc7000 to ableton

Linking and configuring the Denon Mc7000 to Ableton Live is not too complicated, and once you have them paired together you can control the software's settings from your midi DJ controller.

1. Connect the Mc7000 to your computer via USB.
First, connect the USB cable to both the Mc7000 and your computer.
2. Launch Ableton Live and open the MIDI preferences.
Double click the Ableton Live icon to launch the software. Then, in the top menu of Ableton, go to the Preferences menu by opening the ‘Live’ menu and clicking ‘Preferences’.
3. Select the Mc7000 from the list of available devices.
Click the the MIDI Sync tab, make sure that Input and Output for the Mc7000 are checked.
4. Ensure that the ‘Track’, ‘Remote’ and ‘Sync’ boxes are all checked.
In the ‘MIDI’ section of this tab, make sure the ‘Track’ and ‘Remote’ boxes are checked for both the Input and Output of the Mc7000 (Sync can also be optionally checked).

Set up of the Mc7000 with Ableton Live is now complete.

How to midi map the akai mpk mini in Ableton Live

After linking up the Denon Mc7000 to Ableton Live using the steps provided, you can now assign the physical buttons, pads, keys etc on the device to specific functions within Ableton Live via MIDI mapping as follows:

1. Select the MIDI Map Mode button in the top right corner of the Live window. The button should turn orange, indicating that the MIDI Map Mode is enabled.
2. Select the parameter you wish to control in Ableton by clicking it with the cursor, the parameter will become highlighted.
3. Move a control on the Mc7000, such as a knob or fader.
4. The parameter you selected is now mapped to the physical control which you moved on the Mc7000.
5. Moving the physical control on your Mc7000 will now move the position of the corresponding parameter in Ableton.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for any other parameters you wish to map.
7. When you’re finished mapping, press the MIDI Map Mode button again to disable it.

The Limitations of midi mapping the Mc7000

For the fastest way to map your Mc7000, you can't go wrong with Ableton's midi mapping system, but make sure you take into account these limitations...

Saving your Mc7000 Midi Mappings is cumbersome

It is important to note that your mappings are stored with the Ableton session when saving. Consequently, when you create a new session, you will have to remap your controls again.

Ableton MIDI mappings are one-to-one

With a one-to-one MIDI mapping, each control on your Mc7000 can only be assigned to a single parameter in Ableton Live.

Limited Ableton parameter options to map to

Ableton’s internal midi mapping mode is unfortunately missing many control options. Options such as selected track and selected device control aren’t possible using this method. You can see a list of all available Ableton midi mapping options here.

We have a great solution to these problems

If you're looking to get the most out of your Mc7000, our Ableton Midi Script Creator tool 'Control Surface Studio' is exactly what you need!
With it, you'll be able to:
- save and re-use your Mc7000's mappings across all of your Ableton Live sessions,
- map multiple Ableton parameters to a single control on your Mc7000,
- access many more Ableton parameter controls for your Mc7000, than Live's internal midi mapping mode allows.

Learn more about Control Surface Studio and see how it can help you by clicking here!

FAQ / Troubleshooting

Why can't I hear my Mc7000 in Ableton Live?

There are several possible causes:
1. Make sure that the Mc7000 is connected properly to your computer via USB and that the cable is not damaged.
2. Make sure that the Mc7000 is selected as your audio input and output device in your audio settings.
3. Make sure that the correct driver is installed for the Mc7000.
4. Make sure that the Mc7000 is selected as the input device in Ableton's MIDI Preferences.